forewent

See more synonyms for forewent on Thesaurus.com

verb

simple past tense of forego².

forewent

[fawr-went, fohr-]

verb

simple past tense of forego¹.

forego

[fawr-goh, fohr-]

verb (used with or without object), fore·went, fore·gone, fore·go·ing.

to go before; precede.

Origin of forego

before 900; Middle English forgon, forgan, Old English foregān. See fore-, go¹

Related formsfore·go·er, noun

forego

[fawr-goh, fohr-]

verb (used with object), fore·went, fore·gone, fore·go·ing.

forgo.

Related formsfore·go·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for forewent

relinquish, renounce, forfeit, waive, refrain, eschew, forsake, quit, sacrifice, yield, neglect, pass, surrender, precede

Examples from the Web for forewent

Historical Examples of forewent

It was through the intervention of Ugolino that he forewent this mission.
Brother Francis
Eileen Douglas
So they all forewent him and he entered till they brought him to the door of the Divan.
Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp
John Payne
S—— forewent for a moment his amber mouthpiece to give us his experience and opinion.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCLXXVI. February, 1847. Vol. LXI.
Various
But this I know: it was out of their inordinate desire for joy that they forewent joy.
When God Laughs and Other Stories
Jack London
The first prize which fell to Caesar was the consulship, to secure which he forewent the triumph which he had earned in Spain.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4
Various

British Dictionary definitions for forewent

forewent

verb

the past tense of forego 1

forego

verb -goes, -going, -went or -gone

to precede in time, place, etc

Derived Formsforegoer, noun

Word Origin for forego

Old English foregān

forego

verb -goes, -going, -went or -gone

(tr) a variant spelling of forgo

Derived Formsforegoer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for forewent

forego

"to go before," Old English foregan "to go before," from fore- + go. The similarly constructed foredone "killed, destroyed," now is archaic, replaced by done for. Related: Foregoing; foregone.

Phrase foregone conclusion popularized in "Othello" [III.iii], but Shakespeare's sense was not necessarily the main modern one of "a decision already formed before the case is argued." Othello says it of Cassio's dream, and it is clear from the context that Othello means Cassio actually has been in bed with Desdemona before he allegedly dreamed it.